The Fates That Seal
by Naotoki Yamanouchi
Summary: Manigoldo and Albafica have reached Gold Saint status and are working together on missions. Both feel bound, mere pawns of Fate. The two must learn, with the help of each other, that the only people responsible for their destinies are themselves.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: So here is part two of the story. While part one focused heavily on early Sanctuary, this part will be kind of a mid-Sanctuary fic. It will focus a lot on the friendship between Manigoldo and Albafica, as well as friendships and relationships of the other gold saints. Sorry for the wait, I had a very busy holiday. But now I am back and ready to start bi-weekly updates. =) Enjoy!

* * *

"Y-you're kidding, right!?" Manigoldo hadn't felt so horrified in years. He searched his master's face for any sign of deception.

He found none. Sage stood stonily, a dagger held calmly in his hand.

"You heard me, Manigoldo. That's the final test of Cancer. You have to kill me and bind my soul to Cancer Temple."

Hadn't Sisyphos said years ago that the tests often involved the death of the master?

Sage held the dagger out to his student.

Manigoldo took it in his shaking hands.

"Do it quickly. A fast slash across the throat should do it."

Manigoldo gripped his beloved master's shoulder and lifted the dagger to thrust it into his throat. Sage didn't even blink.

"I-I can't" Manigoldo gasped, letting the blade fall from his hand. "I'm sorry, Master. I can't go through with this test."

Sage turned around so that his back was to Manigoldo. His hands were folded behind him and he stood tall and straight. Manigoldo had no way of reading him or guessing what would come next.

"So. You are absolutely refusing to take my life?"

Manigoldo gawked. What kind of a question was that?

"Of course I refuse! How could you even ask me to do such a thing!? I want the cloth, but not if you have to die!"

"Then I must say congratulations."

"Huh?"

Manigoldo frowned in confusion.

"You passed the final test."

"I...passed?"

"Yes. Cancer works so closely with the dead and the underworld that a Cancer saint could forget to appreciate life. Normally with this test the Pope would step in and kill the student before he killed the master if the student shows intent to kill."

"But you're the Pope. Who would have stopped me?"

"That would have been me."

Asmita stepped out from hiding.

"Congratulations."

Manigoldo watched in awe as the Gold Cloth pieces left Sage's body and closed around his own. It didn't seem to matter that at fifteen, he was still shorter and thinner than Sage. The armor fit perfectly.

Sage stood before him, once again in his Papal robes.

"That was the last time I will wear the Cancer cloth. It's yours now. Treat it well, Gold Saint Manigoldo of Cancer."

* * *

"Is there no way I can convince you to let me go with you to see Albafica's test?" Manigoldo asked.

Two years had passed since he was awarded his cloth and on a cool day in late February, Albafica was taking his test.

"No. You stay here and wait."

Manigoldo sighed. He was worried about Albafica. His friend had been acting strange the past few days.

"If he passes his test, he's going to need you later. This is a very difficult test-the hardest one, in my opinion."

A cold chill went down the Cancer saint's spine. Worse than his?

"What's going to happen to him?"

Sage sighed.

"If Albafica passes, Pisces Lugonis will be dead. And Albafica will have killed him."

Manigoldo frowned.

"He-has to...kill. Old Man, that will destroy him."

"He'll likely be sick and delirious at first. See, master and student will swap blood with one another. The one with the weaker poison will die."

"So if Albafica fails, he will die?"

Manigoldo hated the concept of the test. How could such a thing be allowed?

"I don't think Albafica will be failing. He's got a poison that is exceptionally strong."

Sage turned and left Manigoldo alone. The Cancer Saint could do nothing more than wait.

* * *

To say Albafica would be sick had been an understatement. Sage brought the new Pisces Saint back in a state of semi-consciousness. His beautiful face was flushed with high fever and he was soaked with sweat.

Manigoldo had never seen anyone look so vulnerable before and he understood why Atticus had not wanted him to see him in his final days so many years before. Gingerly, he cradled his friend's hand in his own, unable to pull his gaze from Albafica's face.

"Is he going to die?" Manigoldo blurted out.

"No. He just needs some time to absorb Lugonis's blood and poison into his own."

Sage brushed Albafica's sweaty, matted hair away from his face and wiped it with a damp cloth. Manigoldo noticed the film of tears in his master's eyes.

"I hate this test" Sage admitted.

"Is there anything I can do to help?" Manigoldo asked, changing the subject.

"Go down to the kitchen and ask Erin to prepare some weak broth-as watery as she can make it. And some tea. He's lost quite a bit of blood and will need fluids to replenish his supply."

Manigoldo nodded, relieved that he was able to help and get away at the same time. He didn't understand how Sage could stand to be right next to Albafica. The scent of roses hung so strong in the air that it made him nauseous. His head pounded, his stomach was churning and a cold sweat was breaking out on his forehead and palms.

He fought against the relentless wave, willing himself to hold it together. He was seventeen, almost a full-grown man, and a Gold Saint. His master didn't need to have to take care of two sick people.

Once outside, he sucked in deep lungfuls of cool air. Slowly, the nausea passed.

He didn't have to be smart to realize what was happening. His body was reacting to Albafica's poison.

His head still pounding, he made his way into the kitchen and located Erin. He told her what had happened and what Sage was needing from her. The young maid set to work immediately preparing the items requested.

"Are you alright?" she asked, taking in his pale, pinched features. "You don't look so good."

Manigoldo pinched the bridge of his nose.

"Just a headache. It'll go away soon, I'm sure."

_How is his poison having this effect on me? I've been around him, even trained with him, and it's never bothered me before._

The Cancer Saint shook his head, attempting to clear it. The movement only caused the pain to worsen.

He sank down to the floor and pulled off his helmet. The decrease in pressure did not have the effect he'd hoped for. The pain was quickly becoming unbearable. He rested his head on his knees as the nausea came back.

Erin set a basin in front of him.

He weakly glanced up at her. Her face looked fuzzy.

"You shouldn't fight it. Vomiting is your body's way of ridding itself of toxins."

He squeezed his eyes shut. He didn't want to fall to pieces, especially not in front of Erin.

The maid touched his shoulder.

"It's just the two of us here. Stop fighting it."

She turned away from him then, to give him his privacy. True to her prediction, he did feel a little better as soon as he stopped fighting his body and let it take care of itself.

He pulled himself to his feet just as Erin was finishing the broth. She poured it in a bowl and set it on a tray with the tea.

Manigoldo grabbed the tray and offered her a weak smile.

"Thanks, Erin."

"You may want to wash your hands first. You have dried blood on your right hand."

Manigoldo glanced down at his hand and saw it. A small smear of dried blood on his palm.

_Albafica's blood._

Suddenly, it all made sense. He also knew he couldn't wash his hands in the kitchen, just in case his body had not absorbed all the poison.

He adjusted the tray in his grip.

"It's nothing. I'll wash it off as soon as I get back to the temple."

Before she could say another word, Manigoldo zipped out of the kitchen and made his way through to Pisces Temple.

* * *

It took a few days for Manigoldo to recover completely from his brush with Albafica's blood. He asked Sage not to tell the younger boy what had happened. He was also impressed. He had no idea that someone's blood could cause him to become that sick.

Albafica's condition improved over the course of a week. Sage and Manigoldo took turns staying with him during his recovery, as the toxins would have killed off anyone else.

"This pain" Albafica asked on the seventh day. "Does it ever go away?"

Manigoldo knew immediately he was talking about the death of Lugonis.

"No." Manigoldo answered honestly, thinking about Atticus. "It doesn't. You just learn to accept it and deal with it as time goes by."

Would he be able to learn to accept it if Sage died?

"How?"

Albafica's voice was small and weak.

"I got angry. I cried. I even tried to resign from training."

_I almost broke El Cid's nose._

He didn't speak the last thought, but it brought a rather inappropriately timed grin to his face.

Albafica frowned.

Sage breezed into the room before Manigoldo could say anything else to make the situation worse.

"Hope everyone's feeling well. I have a mission for you two."

This got Manigoldo's attention. A mission?

Albafica sat up straighter in bed to give the Pope his full, undivided attention.

Sage crossed over to the bed and sat down on the edge to give them the details.

Manigoldo was excited.

His first real mission as a Saint!


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Thank you to Purestrongpoem and Andromeda Sage for reviewing. I know I sent personal responses, but thanks again! I am going to change my bi-weekly update day to Tuesdays as most of my writing is done from a phone and I need an actual computer to update. Tuesdays are when I have the best computer access. =)

08: Muchas gracias por el comentario! Sientase libre de dejar un firmado una proxima vez, asi que puedo responder a usted directamente.

There will be another OC introduced this chapter-kinda. He isn't a full OC. This was an idea HubrisP pitched to me about Aiacos' younger brother, Suisho (mentioned in Next Dimension) taking his brother's place as a Saint when Aiacos joins Hades. Since Suisho isn't developed on all that much in Next Dimension, we have taken creative liberties. Even though HubrisP and I have gone our separate ways as writers, we remain friends and he encouraged me to go ahead and include Suisho in here. He will not be in much, just a few cameos to see how he is perceived. If he is liked, I may do something else with him later. If not, then I won't waste my time.

I have babbled enough. Enjoy the chapter!

* * *

Manigoldo was not exactly thrilled with their mission.

"Seriously? Our first mission as Saints, and we're being sent off to retrieve a kid?" he complained to a less-than-interested Albafica.

The younger teen brushed his shoulder-grazing hair away from his eyes.

"Of course we are going to be started small. Did you expect your master to dive right into dramatic missions? What did you think we were going to do?"

Manigoldo smirked.

"I don't know. Slay a dragon and rescue a beautiful princess from a high tower? Fight off hordes of Spectres with our bare hands?"

Albafica gave a slight chuckle and shook his head. His gaze seemed to be fixated on someone. Manigoldo followed his friend's stare.

"Are you looking at that girl?" he teased as his gaze fell on a young girl with auburn curls.

Albafica's fair cheeks flushed with high color.

"I-umm…" he stammered.

Manigoldo laughed.

"I get it." he said. "You have a thing for girls with auburn hair. It's normal. Nothing to be ashamed of."

Albafica still looked uncomfortable. Manigoldo's grin fell. How stupid of him to tease his friend. Why did he always seem to say the wrong things?

"Let's just get this over with. Where did your master say this kid would be? "

Albafica walked on ahead of him.

" He just said he was in this town." Manigoldo sighed. "Which means he could be anywhere."

The lighter-haired teen said nothing. Manigoldo sighed. If Albafica was going into one of his moods, it was going to be a long afternoon.

"You spent some of your childhood on the streets, didn't you? " Albafica finally asked. "Where did you like to hide? "

Manigoldo blinked at the question.

"Why do you think he is hiding? "

The Pisces Saint pinched the bridge of his nose.

"Do you think a sick child who had no where to go is going to sit out in public? "

"I did"

The Cancer saint frowned. Why was his voice hardly more than a whisper?

Albafica turned around to look at him.

"I guess there was part of me that wanted to be found. That night the old man found me, I wasn't hiding."

Manigoldo was suddenly fascinated by the dirt under his fingernails.

Albafica rested a hesitant hand on his shoulder.

"Then let's find him. "

* * *

It was nearly dark by the time they found the child passed out under a tree. Manigoldo eyed the boy uncomfortably. Even after five years, being around sick people made him queasy. The thought of Atticus in his final days haunted him.

"Go on" Albafica said. "Pick him up so we can go home."

"Why do I have to do it!?" Manigoldo shot back, staring at the child as though he were a monster that wanted to eat him.

Albafica stared.

"You're joking, right?"

Manigoldo sighed and gingerly lifted the sleeping boy off the ground. His black hair brushed onto his shoulders and was dirty, matted, and damp with sweat. The kid's skin burned with fever and he desperately needed a bath.

The boy didn't even stir as Manigoldo lifted him, hammering home the urgency. He had to get the kid to Sage so he could get proper medication and treatment or he would likely die.

He shoved his reservations aside.

"Let's go, Albafica. Hurry."

They were off like two shots back to the Sanctuary.

Manigoldo and Albafica dashed through the empty Aries temple and paused just long enough to give greeting to Aldebarran and Asperos as they all but ran through the Taurus and Gemini temples. Once in Cancer, Manigoldo pulled the kid's dirty clothes off, threw one of his own shirts over the boy, and tossed him onto his bed.

"I-I'll go tell Pope Sage we're back and that the boy is in here." Albafica said.

Manigoldo nodded. He knew Albafica would return to Pisces Temple and hole himself away until he was dragged out again. Such a life of solitude would drive him mad.

Albafica had just left when he heard Asmita's voice calling from the back entrance of his temple.

"Manigoldo? It is Asmita. I am coming in"

The blonde didn't even wait for a response. He waltzed into the temple, much to Manigoldo's annoyance.

"You can't just come in here! You're supposed to ask my permission!" Manigoldo snapped.

Asmita's closed eyes locked on him.

"Oh, really? And what, exactly, are you going to do now that I am here? Pick me up and remove me bodily?"

The boy grinned. Manigoldo was not in the mood.

He studied the younger boy carefully. Even though he was thirteen, Asmita was still small and gangly. His lengthy hair probably accounted for a quarter of his weight. He would be very easy to lift up and carry out.

"Actually, yeah. That's _exactly_ what I am going to do."

Manigoldo grabbed the Virgo trainee by the back of the long, brown robes he was wearing and lifted him off the ground. It was childish, and not particularly model Saint behavior, but at that moment, he couldn't find it in him to care. He, Manigoldo, would probably _never _be a model Saint. He'd leave the model behavior to Sisyphos.

"If I were you, I would put me down" Asmita warned.

"Right. I'm terrified." Manigoldo replied.

He shifted Asmita's feather-light body over his shoulder and proceeded towards the back entrance of Cancer Temple. A sharp, sudden pain shot through his arms and he dropped Asmita to the floor.

The blonde smiled again.

"I warned you."

Manigoldo rotated his sore arms. He noticed they were red.

"What did you do to me anyway?"

He was curious. Even though the blonde had a way of annoying him to no end sometimes, the two had grown up together with Sage. He viewed Asmita almost like a younger brother.

"Nothing much. I just burned you with my Cosmos."

"You...burned…"

Manigoldo lunged for Asmita again.

A cough stopped him in his tracks.

Sage wore a frown as he walked into Cancer temple.

"Are the two of you incapable of going one day without some sort of fight or argument?"

"Sorry" Manigoldo and Asmita mumbled in unison.

"Where is the child?" Sage asked, ignoring their apology.

"I left him in my bed chamber" Manigoldo responded. "Why do you want him anyway? He doesn't look like much."

"He may not be much, but I had to see for myself." Sage replied in a tone that warned Manigoldo not to question him further.

Of course that meant Manigoldo had to question him more.

"What do you mean? Who is this kid?" he asked as he and Asmita followed the aged Pope into his bedchamber.

"He's related to the former Crateris saint, isn't he?" Asmita asked. "I can feel it in his cosmos. Their energy is unique, but similar enough to tell relation."

"Crateris!? You mean that traitor who just picked up and seemingly dropped off the face of the Earth!?" Manigoldo exploded.

Sage sighed as he gently lifted the boy's head and placed a cool compress behind his neck.

"Yes. This is his younger brother."

Manigoldo stared at his master as though the old man had lost his mind.

"You want to take a traitor's brother in. And what!? Train him so he can betray the Sanctuary and Athena, too!?"

"I must admit, I agree with Manigoldo, Sir" Asmita chimed in. "I do not wish to question your judgement, but he seems a confusing choice."

Sage smiled at Asmita.

"If only my pupil had half the wisdom you possess."

"I"m still here, you know" Manigoldo griped.

Sage continued.

"I had a prophecy about two brothers destined to fight each other on opposing sides during the upcoming Holy War. With Suikyo vanishing and his brother turning up, I can not ignore it. Especially since Athena has been located and will be joining us shortly."

Manigoldo felt a thrill of excitement at those words.

"Athena?"

"Yes. I have sent Sisyphos to retrieve her.

Sage stepped away from the sleeping child and set one hand on Manigoldo's shoulder and the other on Asmita's.

"That's why I need you two to stop your fighting. Athena needs her Saints to stand united. Quarreling among one another will not be tolerated. Do you understand?"

Manigoldo and Asmita nodded their agreement.


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: Thanks to Andromeda Sage, Purestrongpoem, and CrazyChick808 for reviewing. Sorry for not sending individual responses this time. I started a new job and have been insanely busy. Enjoy!

Manigoldo sat in Pisces temple and had lunch with Albafica on the day Athena was scheduled to arrive at the Sanctuary. He was extremely excited to see the Goddess he had heard so much about from Sage.

"What do you think she'll be like?" he asked Albafica between bites of fish and vegetables. "The old man says she'll just be a little girl right now, but she won't stay a child forever."

Albafica glanced up from his own plate, where he had been mindlessly moving the food about without eating much of it.

"I think she'll be physically beautiful" the Pisces saint replied slowly. "And she will be kind and smart. She will have the wisdom to guide us through difficult situations."

"More beautiful than you?", Manigoldo teased.

"Yes. More beautiful than me."

Albafica's face briefly flashed a small smile.

"Is it safe to bring her here now? She doesn't have all her Gold Saints yet, after all."

Manigoldo hadn't even thought about that. Nonetheless, he waved his friend's concern aside with a flick of his hand.

"We're here, and so are Sisyphos, El Cid, Aldebarran, and Asperos. Degel and Kardia will be returning from their training soon. Surely we can take on a few spectres."

Albafica didn't look too convinced.

"Ilias couldn't."

"He was sick", Manigoldo reminded his friend. "We're not."

Albafica shrugged and flipped his hair off his shoulder.

"Should I send out out warnings once Kardia returns? Let everyone know that war could break out any moment?"

Manigoldo snorted.

"Hardly. He's not worth my time. Besides, I promised the old man I would stay away from him."

He stood up and stretched.

"I need to get going. I've got somewhere I have to be."

Albafica cocked an eyebrow.

"It doesn't involve anything you shouldn't be doing, does it?"

Manigoldo flashed a grin.

"Bye!"

He tore out of Pisces temple, ignoring the look of confusion on his friend's face.

He was planning to ask Sage permission to go to town and get some flowers for Athena's arrival, but he didn't want to tell Albafica. He couldn't have people thinking he was going soft.

* * *

He hurried into Sage's public quarters. To his surprise, his master was no where to be found. He heard rustling and spotted a small, black-haired boy rummaging through the old Pope's belongings.

It looked like Sage's little rescue was making himself right at home.

"Suisho! " he called, making the boy jump. "What are you doing in here? "

The young boy dropped a stack of papers he was holding and turned to stare at the Cancer saint. His brown eyes were hard as ice. Though Manigoldo had surprised him, it was obvious the kid was not afraid of him.

" You can't just come in the old man's office and move his things around. "

The Cancer saint rubbed his temples. He was no good at this stuff. Where the hell was Sisyphos when he needed him?

"Mind your own business. "

Ok. That was not what Manigoldo had been expecting. How mad would Sage be if he punched the brat in the gut to show him his place?

"Listen here, Brat" Manigoldo snapped. "I am trying to help your sorry ass. If the old man catches you in here, messing with his stuff, you will be in serious trouble."

Suisho's eyes didn't soften. He drew himself up to his full height and stared Manigoldo straight in the eye.

"What does it matter to you? All you Saints are the same, aren't you? You pretend to care now, but you'll just run off and leave me alone, same as my brother. Your master wants me to train and take over Suikyo's cloth. What a joke."

Manigoldo lifted the papers Suisho had dropped off of the floor and set them neatly on the Papal desk.

"If you don't want to be a Saint, just tell my master. You haven't started training yet."

"The penalty is still death. I'm not ready to die yet. I have to teach that brother of mine a lesson."

Manigoldo felt a shiver run through his body as an icy blast of air hit his bare arms.

"Than train. Train as hard as you can, become the best you can. Show that brother of yours the mistake he made."

Suisho's shoulders slumped.

Manigoldo took the opportunity to seize control of the situation.

"Now. Get out of here. Take this money, go into town, and buy some flowers. Lady Athena is arriving today and this place needs to look perfect."

The boy looked surprised, but eventually took the money.

"Heh. You're not as tough as your reputation makes you out to be."

Without warning, Manigoldo whirled on the kid and acted as though he were going to punch him. He stopped less than a centimeter from the boy's nose.

The child backed away, tripping and landing on his butt.

The Cancer Saint tossed him his iciest glare.

"Now. Get out of here."

The boy scrambled to his feet.

"Yes, Sir."

As Suisho raced off to do as he had been told, Manigoldo shook his head.

"Better keep an eye out on that one" he muttered to himself.

Then he laughed.

* * *

By the time Sisyphos arrived back at the Sanctuary, Manigoldo had forgotten all about his run-in with Suisho. The young Athena was taken off by several handmaids to wash up and get changed, Sisyphos gave a report of the mission to the Pope, and the rest of the Gold saints waited anxiously for their chance to glimpse the girl who would eventually guide them through times of war.

"How long does it take for a girl to take a bath and get dressed?" he muttered.

"Shhh" Asperos whispered from his right side. "Have you no manners?"

"Nope. None" Asmita answered for him from Manigoldo's left.

"Why are you even here?" the Cancer saint asked.

"Because I am going to be a Gold Saint. And because even though I am not a Saint yet, I could beat you."

Next to Asmita, Sisyphos shot them a warning look and held a finger to his lips, signaling for them to be quiet.

Manigoldo was taken aback by the intense look of sadness in the Sagittarius Saint's eyes. It hit him suddenly that Asmita was standing where Ilias should have been, and he immediately sobered up.

"I'm sorry" Asmita mumbled.

Manigoldo was so used to the boy's uncanny ability to perceive everything that he didn't even bother to ask how he knew what was going on when Sisyphos hadn't said a word.

Asperos elbowed Manigoldo's side. His green eyes bore into Manigoldo's, silently ordering him to apologize, too. The Cancer saint shot the Gemini a glare, sighed, and muttered "Right. Sorry."

The Cancer saint focused his attention on the line. No one stood where Aries should be, nor were the spots for Leo, Libra, Scorpio, or Aquarius occupied. Albafica stood at the end of the row, stiff and rigid, his posture stating he was clearly uncomfortable. Before he could ask Albafica if he was alright, the door to the Pope's chamber opened.

All the saints dropped to bended knee as Sage walked in, followed closely by Erin. Behind Erin, looking both hesitant and confident, was a small girl, about six years old. She was dressed in a gown of purest white. Her light purple hair was on the short side, hanging just below her pale jawline. Even though she was very young, Manigoldo could tell she was going to be a petite thing.

The girl lifted her head and looked each one of them in the face. Manigoldo noticed, with amusement, that her eyes were, infact, green, just as he had predicted years before. She offered them a warm, friendly smile that could have melted even Kardia's heart.

"Hello, everyone. My name is Sasha."


End file.
